Monday, August 21, 2006

Birdfair 2006

With no stand at Birdfair anymore Liz and I decided to sponsor our Gambian bird guide friend, Kebba Sosseh, to bring him over to Britain to stay with us for a month and to attend the Birdfair this year.

Having Kebba in tow was a great way to see the fair as in the 18 years of attending, this was the first time I had ever been round! And its fab!

Here are a few pics of Kebba enjoying his first time in England and first Birdfair, and a few of the highlights for Liz and me.

Kebba with Birdseekers and Ultimate Pelagics Adam KennedyKebba looking at around the art marqueeTHe Birdfair mural in progressThe Gambian Bird Guides football team including across the back row (from left) familiar guides - Solomon Jallow (Manager!), Kebbah Sosseh, Sering Bojang, Dembo Sonko and Tombong - they go on to reach the semis where they are beaten by the eventual winners, Wildwings.Marking out the pitchPlaying against Birdwatch magazineThe end of the tournament is not the damp squibb it seems!Kebba on the Speyside Wildlife standKebba with Speyside friends Bonnie, Emma and MalcolmNichola Theakston's fantadtic ceramics standHair having a wee scratchPart of the audience come to 'Challenge the Leica Leaders' eventTeam 1 - Ricardo Hevia (Spain), Arnoud van den Berg (The Netherlands) and Marek Borkowski (Poland) with BBC's Stephen Moss in foreground (out of picture, Team 2 - Ian Sinclair (South Africa), Andrea Corso (Italy) and Steve Dudley (Farcet Fen!)Liz, Kebba, Mrs Sinclair and a rather surprised gent watch the Leica Leaders being challenged!Trolley art frogTrolley art ratty (water vole)Trolley art butterbump (bittern)The Gambian's Birdfair stand (Kebba in yellow sleeves and Dembo Sonko sat)The finished Birdfair muralClose up of the two sides of the finished muralMore to come!